My 100th post...

Better late, then never… so I’ve heard. :) It’s been a while since I last posted, but instead of giving you my list of excuses, I will “fill you in” on what’s been happening in and around my life and at Shepherd Sports.

First off, my wife and I recently had our second child, a beautiful baby girl named Kyra. Along with an abundance of joy, I have been blessed with a long to-do list and my nights involve minimal sleep, but she is worth every waking minute and our family is adjusting well. In all things, I praise God, and thank you all for your well wishes!

My staff and I are excited to share that we have had a wonderful summer filled with new relationships, new champions and most importantly, new believers who have accepted Christ into their lives. We have been blessed to see a record number of youth participating in our leagues and camps, and our Second Annual Family Fun Day was another big success, with over 500 people in attendance! Also beginning in October, we are offering 2 new health and fitness classes in an effort to find more opportunities to reach out to our community. These are just a few highlights of this season so far!

This is also the time of year I begin planning next year’s calendar, and I am excited for the new adventures that we will experience together in 2012! As I prepare for next season, I humbly ask for your prayers – for me, as I seek God and His direction for our ministry, and that we might continue to grow in faith and bless our community. Please also pray for our staff, their families, and for all our leaders who serve faithfully for God’s Kingdom through our Shepherd Sports Ministry.

Here’s to hoping my next post won’t take another summer to update!

God, Basketball Camp, Social Media and More...

Jrue signing autographs for the kids

This past week, we wrapped up our second annual Jrue Holiday Basketball Camp. By far, the highlight of our camp was the All Star Game we had for the kids. Having Jrue at camp each year is such a great blessing for the campers and my staff. He truly cares for the kids, and you can see the joy he gets from giving of himself to each and every child. Jrue took pictures with every camper – all 150 of them – then signed each picture, ensuring every child had quality time with him and a keepsake they will cherish forever.

If you have ever been in my office, you have seen the picture with me and Jordan... yes, Michael Jordan. I worked his basketball camp when I was in college, and that keepsake has kept my memory of that special moment alive to this day. This is the same gift that Jrue has given to all of our campers this week. I pray they will cherish it.

There is no way this blog can recreate the joy of our experience at camp or the excitement of the All Star Game, but I’ll tell you that we are considering selling tickets for admission to next year’s game... it was that good! Below are two videos from one of the most thrilling moments of that day – the same play actually, from two different angles – an “Eastbay off the backboard” dunk courtesy of Nick Young of the Washington Wizards and USC. Besides the degree of difficulty that makes this an amazing dunk, the number of hits for the first video on YouTube is almost as amazing – over 100,000 hits in only 5 days!

The number of hits on YouTube is incredible, and the blessing of this time with Jrue Holiday will be a wonderful memory – especially for the kids. However, the greatest part of camp was the spirit and attitude all the campers, coaches and players represented while they were on the court. We had NBA, International players, and Division I college athletes serving during the camp, and each one gave of themselves to the benefit of the children and the outreach that Shepherd Sports is trying to accomplish.

What God is doing within our midst and through this ministry is amazing. The relationships that were made through these servants hearts, the fellowship the children had with each other, the worship experience we all shared on the court, and the memories that all the participants will take with them – this is God. He has given us the gift of the Holy Spirit and He forms our human spirit so that we may give.

At Shepherd Sports, we continue to put all we do at His feet and watch the spectacular workings of God’s glory in all He does. Enjoy the videos.

…the land was radiant with his glory… Ezekiel 43:2

This video had over 100 thousand hits in 5 days

An HD video of the same dunk

How Life Often Imitates Sports

Anyone who plays sports will tell you that we crave the thrill of competition and the desire to push ourselves to be the best that we can be. Then our bones start to ache, and our desire to workout becomes more of a necessity rather than something we enjoy. Human nature pushes us to be the best, but as we get older, we realize that we are not the athletes we used to be - our dreams of becoming an Olympic Gold Medalist or a World Champion fade away.

Our adult sports program gives every athlete the chance to become a Champion again. Whether you watched your high school or college team from the sidelines, or you play a different sport everyday, a good sports league gives us all a chance to compete for the crown once again.

I know that my best days are behind me. However, the opportunity to compete and play with people who desire to push and test themselves is a challenge we want to continue to experience. Going through a season with your teammates is like going through the rollercoaster of life – we share the good times and we share the difficult times. These are the same turns we face in life.

Life often imitates sports, which is why I believe sports, in our country and throughout the world, are so popular. Sports bring people together. We get a chance to test ourselves, our talents, and our skills, against another team. As an athlete, you know that all the individuals on a team have to work together to be successful. We rely on each other to make defensive plays in the field, and we encourage each other to make the clutch hit or nail the winning free throw.

Just as in life and sports, we will have trying times as we grow in our faith. We will have exciting mountain top experiences, and we will encounter times when it seems like the whole world is against us, but God has called us to lean on one another as the church.

Through Shepherd Sports, we hope to encourage and nurture relationships - not just the ones that connect individuals together on a championship team - but one that brings every individual to the cross. To go through life knowing you have God in your corner is an exciting and amazing thing, and one where the ultimate crown is still attainable.

I’ll take my crown in Heaven over a gold medal or championship ring any day.

Jesus said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Luke 18:22

R U A CHAMP...

Since the Spring of 2006 we have taken a picture of every Adult Championship Team. Everyone has always enjoyed checking out the past Champions and seeing who took the crown the season before. A few years back we out grew the space on the window in my office and have since been looking for a new location to proudly display all our past champions. It is now finished; permanently laminated and stuck to the wall in the Sports Wing. Next time your by the gym, come check it out..hopefully you can spot yourself.

P.S. More to come on the idea of being a CHAMPION

Our new CHAMPS mural in the Sports Wing

The old pics outside my office...we only got to the year 2009, before we ran out of room.

Golf Tourney Pics

Here is a sample of pictures from our Golf Fundraiser this year at Porter Valley Country Club. Coming soon to the Shepherd Sports website is a behind the scene video of everything that went down at this years event. Click Here to see this and other features from Shepherd Sports. Thank You again to everyone who made this day a reality.

what is GREATNESS?

Most of us strive for greatness in something we do, and watching this video reminds me of what we are all capable of. When I was a kid I loved to ride BMX, and I thought jumping a curb was a huge accomplishment – it still is! After seeing this amazing video and the stunning footage of talent displayed, I am reminded that we are not all called to be great at the same things, but we ARE all called to be great.

Growing up, I knew that being involved in sports was God’s calling for me. After I finished playing basketball however, I did not know what would come next in my career. God used this time to develop and prepare me for this calling in sports ministry.

Although I do not know where my career path may take me next, I see this video of a man who has perfected the art of riding his bike, and I am inspired… not to excel in riding my bike like him, but to continue striving for greatness in the talents God has given me.

I know you will appreciate his talent and enjoy this video. More importantly though, I pray that you will recognize God working in your life and the blessing that is your own talent - and strive for the greatness that is your path.

A deep breath...

A DRIVER that finally fits me :)

WOW!!! What a day. We just wrapped up our 5th Annual Golf Tournament and what a relief. That is not to sound indifferent but actually feeling overwhelmed that all the planning and hard work has paid off. God showed up in spades for our annual fundraiser and although I am still trying to catch my breath from the last couple of weeks and the preparation needed for this day...our ministry was truly blessed by all those that came out to sponsor, donate and participate.

We added a few new wrinkles to the program this year and they all seemed to pay off. I spent the day overwhelmed with love from over 35 volunteers who took the day off work or got baby sitters so they could help us with the event...thank you everyone who put their heart and soul into this day. Shawn Parr was again, an amazing success and what a huge blessing for this church and our ministry to have someone use their talents in such an extraordinary way. Thank You Shawn, for everything. The rewards will go so far in our attempt to reach lives through Sports.

My personal day was filled with running from here to there from sun up to sun down...no complaining of course, but man was I tired come 9pm. I couldn't even get out of my office chair to go home after all our guests had gone. It is always fun to see everyone and mingle and thank all the golfers and dinner guests for coming out...and of course checking to make sure everything is perfect to ensure the greatest possible experience for all those in attendance. Two years ago during our round of golf I started sitting at a hole hitting my driver as a fundraiser...I get to take pictures with all the golfers and I also get to work on my swing. The time always fly's by and I hope by hitting balls all day that my swing would improve...not :) All part of what makes this day so much fun...and of course for what I believe to be an amazing cause.

Coming soon to our website on the feature page is going to be a behind the scenes look at this years golf and dinner benefit...this should prove to be funny and a little insightful for everything that really goes on behind the scenes. Thank you everyone, for a great day.

In Love, Pastor J.

Standing Tall

I can't believe its been almost two months since my last post...I've personally been going through one of the busiest seasons of my life. I can't think of anytime in my life that I have had so much going on at one time. I can't complain as much of what's been going on, is good stuff, but too much good stuff can become overwhelming. I am back with my head above water as I recently finished a class within my masters program, sold our home, packed our old home, moved and unpacked again and am helping my wife through her new pregnancy. YES, were expecting again. :)

So all in all, no complains...just busy. (hence the no blog posts) Someone recently shared this video with me and it touched me as a man, a golfer and someone who has spent time serving on two mission trips to the Dominican Republic. When things seem bad, we need to know that God is your hope and we should only lean on Him. Hope you enjoy.

One Time a Year

My boy getting ready for the big day

Im proud to announce the date for our Golf Tournament this year...

Monday, April 18.

With Easter landing towards the end of the April this year we have been playing with some different dates for our tournament since we usually try to run our fundraiser towards the end of April. Besides the date we have several exciting changes coming to this years big day.

First, we are moving golf courses this year to Porter Valley Country Club. As a private club this is a rare chance for those that aren't members to play this Championship golf course. We will also be moving our dinner, auction and trophy presentation to the Family Life Center that same night. I am most excited about moving our dinner on campus because it is going to give those of you who don't golf an opportunity to get involved with our Dinner and Auction. This night is always such a great event and by having it in the FLC it is going to give everyone a chance to be part of this great evening. Also in the house that evening will be Outback Steakhouse and GO. Country's Morning D.J. "Shawn Parr". So save the date and if your a golfer, get that swing ready.